The Swan (1956 film)
The Swan | |
---|---|
File:Swan Poster.jpg Movie poster | |
Directed by | Charles Vidor |
Written by | John Dighton |
Based on | A hattyú (1920 play; The Swan) by Ferenc Molnár |
Produced by | Dore Schary |
Starring | Grace Kelly Alec Guinness Louis Jourdan Jessie Royce Landis Estelle Winwood Brian Aherne Agnes Moorehead |
Cinematography | Joseph Ruttenberg Robert Surtees |
Edited by | John D. Dunning |
Music by | Bronislau Kaper |
Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $3,094,000[1] |
Box office | $3,749,000[1] |
The Swan (1956) an Eastman Color in CinemaScope is a remake of The Swan (1925), a Paramount Pictures release. Another film version was released as One Romantic Night (1930).
The film is a romantic comedy released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Charles Vidor, produced by Dore Schary from a screenplay by John Dighton, and based on the play by Ferenc Molnár. The original music score was by Bronisław Kaper, the cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg and Robert Surtees, the art direction by Randall Duell and Cedric Gibbons, and the costume design by Helen Rose.
The film stars Grace Kelly, Alec Guinness and Louis Jourdan with Agnes Moorehead, Jessie Royce Landis, Brian Aherne, Leo G. Carroll, Estelle Winwood, and Robert Coote.
Plot
In 1910, Princess Alexandra (Grace Kelly), the daughter of a minor branch of a European royal house, is urged by her mother (Jessie Royce Landis) to accept her cousin the crown prince, Albert (Alec Guinness) as husband so that their family may regain a throne that was taken from them by Napoleon. Princess Alexandra tries to gain Albert's attention; he is otherwise taken with sleeping late, shooting ducks and playing football with Alexandra's two younger brothers. Alexandra's mother urges her to show interest in the tutor, Dr. Nicholas Agi (Louis Jourdan), to make Albert jealous and stimulate a proposal from him.
Agi is already taken with Alexandra and when she invites him to the farewell ball for the crown prince he eagerly accepts. Later when they are dancing at the ball it appears that Albert is getting jealous but instead he is more interested in playing the bass viol in the orchestra.
Later, Agi tells Alexandra how he feels about her. She tells him that it was all a ploy to get Albert to propose to her and she suspected he felt this way. She realizes that she has some feelings for him but he refuses her. Albert comes to find out about this situation and is a little taken aback. Albert and Agi trade insults. Agi then storms out and tries to leave the next morning.
Alexandra, distraught over what happened, tries to leave with him, but he refuses her again. Albert's mother, The Queen, (Agnes Moorehead), shows up and gets the entire story and is aghast. Albert gives his blessing to the pair and says that when he is king he will allow them back into the country. However, Agi ends up leaving the mansion without Alexandra.
Albert tries to console Alexandra by telling her she is like a swan: on the water she looks serene, but on land she is more like a goose. Albert then offers Alexandra his arm and they walk back into the mansion together.
Cast
- Grace Kelly as Princess Alexandra
- Alec Guinness as Crown Prince Albert
- Louis Jourdan as Dr. Nicholas Agi
- Agnes Moorehead as Queen Maria Dominika
- Jessie Royce Landis as Princess Beatrix
- Brian Aherne as Father Carl Hyacinth
- Leo G. Carroll as Caesar
- Estelle Winwood as Symphorosa
- Van Dyke Parks as George
- Christopher Cook as Arsene
- Robert Coote as Capt. Wunderlich
- Doris Lloyd as Countess Sibenstoyn
- Edith Barrett as Elsa, Beatrix's maid
Background
The 1925, 1930, and 1956 films are all based on a Hungarian play entitled A Hattyú, Vígjáték Három Felvonásban (The Swan, A Comedy in Three Acts) [2] by Ferenc Molnár (Budapest, 1914).
Grace Kelly had previously appeared in the CBS Television production of The Swan on June 9, 1950.[3]
MGM bought the screenrights in May 1955 as a vehicle for Grace Kelly. Head of production Dore Schary also announced he intended to remake The Barretts of Wimpole Street with Kelly.[4]
Kelly visited the Cannes Festival later that month. It was there she met Prince Ranier.[5]
(In July 1955 MGM announced Kelly would follow the film with Designing Woman.[6])
By August 1955 the lead roles had been given to Louis Jourdan - who had done a screen test in Paris - and Rex Harrison.[7] However, Harrison was unable to come to terms with the studio. By the end of the month Alec Guinness signed to play the role - it would be his first Hollywood movie.[8]
Director Charles Vidor said the filmmakers paid close attention to the Princess Margaret-Peter Townsend romance. ""If they had wed we would have thought very seriously about changing our ending," he said. "However, by not marrying a commoner made our Swan a new, modern story. Now they can't say it's old-fashioned."[9]
Production
The film was shot on location in North Carolina, at the 1895 Biltmore Estate of George W. Vanderbilt in Asheville and at Lake Junaluska.[10]
MGM held the release of The Swan to correspond with civil wedding ceremony of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco, on April 18, 1956.
Music
The score was composed by Bronislau Kaper and conducted by Johnny Green, with orchestrations by Robert Franklyn. One piece of source music, "Rakoczy March", an 1809 piece by John Bihari, was conducted by Miklós Rózsa.[11]
MGM Records released two suites of portions of the music from the film on long-playing record after the release of the film. The complete score was released in 2004, on cd, on the Film Score Monthly label.
Reception
According to MGM records the film earned $1,763,000 in the US and Canada and $1,986,000 elsewhere but the high cost meant it resulted in loss of $798,000.[1]
Earlier film versions
- The 1925 silent film with the same title was directed by Dimitri Buchowetzki and starred Frances Howard as Princess Alexandra and Adolphe Menjou as Crown Prince Albert.
- One Romantic Night (1930) starred Lillian Gish as Princess Alexandra and Rod La Rocque as Prince Albert, with Conrad Nagel as the tutor. It was directed by Paul Stein.
Original Broadway production
The original Broadway production of The Swan opened on Broadway in 1923, with Eva Le Gallienne as Princess Alexandra, Philip Merivale as Prince Albert, and Basil Rathbone as the tutor.
See also
References
- ^ a b c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
- ^ "Google Translate". google.com. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
- ^ ON TELEVISION New York Times 4 June 1950: X10.
- ^ MGM Buys 'Swan' to Star Grace Kelly Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif]02 May 1955: B9.
- ^ Film Festival at Cannes Thrilling to Grace Kelly Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 21 May 1955: 17.
- ^ Grace Kelly to Be Cast as Fashion Designer Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 29 July 1955: a9.
- ^ ODETS THE WRITER MAY BE DIRECTOR: Author Discusses Possibility of Guiding His Film Script of 'Joseph' to the End By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times. 3 Aug 1955: 28.
- ^ GUINNESS SIGNED FOR M-G-M MOVIE. New York Times 1 Sep 1955: 20.
- ^ 'Tattoo' Husband Played by 3, Though Scarcely in the Film Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 15 Jan 1956: D2.
- ^ APPALACHIAN MOLNAR: Alec Guinness, Grace Kelly and 'Swan' On Camera at Noted Carolina Site By HOWARD THOMPSONASHEVILLE, N. C. New York Times 9 Oct 1955: X5.
- ^ Bond, Jeff; Lukas Kendall (2004). "The Swan". Film Score Monthly (CD insert notes). 7 (5). Bronislau Kaper. Culver City, California, U.S.A.: 4.
External links
- 1956 films
- American films
- English-language films
- Films directed by Charles Vidor
- Films based on works by Ferenc Molnár
- American film remakes
- Sound film remakes of silent films
- American films based on plays
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
- Films shot in North Carolina
- Films set in Europe
- Films set in 1910
- Films scored by Bronisław Kaper